Make sure your website looks good.

Since your website is the first introduction patients have to your practice, make sure it’s professional looking, current, and up to date.

You must also make sure that your website answers the questions new patients have:

Does this dentist take my insurance?

What services does this dentist provide?

Does this dentist see adults/ teens/ children?

In fact, the more questions your website answers for visitors, the better.

If your practice offers specialized services like Invisalign or popular tooth whitening systems, make sure you use the brand names at your website. People search for “Invisalign near me.” If your website offers useful information for people searching for a particular kind of help, they will appreciate the help you offer… before they even talk with you.

Avoid duplicate content.

Having identical language on your website and on other websites — or even identical language in multiple places on your website — is the kiss of death for SEO. Many medical website services create websites with duplicate content without telling you.

Duplicate content can also be a problem if you cut and paste words from a manufacturer’s website. We said you should have full information on Invisalign, but cutting and pasting information from another website will harm your online marketing. Think about it: why should Google show your information about Invisalign if it’s identical to another, older page on the web. They won’t.

Make sure that you have fresh, original content on your website. Adding fresh content regularly is the most effective way to increase your rankings. That means your website is more likely to show up when people search for a new dentist in your neighborhood.

Show your location.

People search for a new dentist with terms like “find a dentist,” “need a dentist,” and “local dentist,” but the screenshot above from Google Trends shows the top search term: “dentist near me.”

When Google sees terms like “near me,” they’ll make sure to show searchers the dentists who are actually close by geographically.

So how does Google know where you are? Make sure you include your address, formatted just the way you’d write it on an envelope. Include your name, address, and phone number (NAP) on your homepage and your Contact Us page at the very least. It’s not bad to include it in your header or footer, too.

Then get as many local links and citations as possible, all using that same address information.

Keep it up.

Having a great website is important, but you can’t just set it and forget it. Regular blogging, social media engagement with your patients, and ongoing web management are essential for success.